Platinum compounds as potential antiviral agents

The appearance of new epidemic virus opened new questions on the treatment of viral infections. The expectations in receiving answers and fast solutions from scientists are very high and the search for more effective antiviral drugs is highly desired. The potential of platinum compounds in viral diseases is an unexplored field. In last fifty years, since the discovery of their antitumor activity, platinum drugs were worldwide studied to improve their efficacy, activity and/or selectivity. As a consequence, thousands new platinum compounds were synthesized, even showing interesting antiviral properties. This review is aimed to describe the demonstrated antiviral properties of some platinum drugs. The reported studies suggest to reconsider platinum drugs for a further evaluation as potential antiviral agents. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The emergence of new epidemic viruses has raised new questions about viral infection treatment. There are high expectations for answers and fast solutions from scientists. The potential of platinum compounds in viral diseases is an unexplored field that warrants further research.